The agent for Louis Vaquez calls his guy Big Lou. I refer to Vazquez as the best player who left the Chargers this offseason.

The durable right guard, a 335-pound bulwark against up-the-gut attackers, wasn't Pro Bowl material. But he was the rare Chargers blocker who shielded the team’s $91-million quarterback, Philip Rivers, with consistency.

When Vasquez bid out his services in March, the Broncos moved mountains of money his way: $13 million guaranteed, with stipulations for an additional $10.5 million. A perk was Denver's status -- Vegas-stamped -- as AFC favorite this year.

Big Lou called the decision easy.

Unable to offer Vasquez a platter of $23.5 million and playoff sugar plums, Chargers talent man Tom Telesco had clout when weighing the other 22 Chargers free agents that he didn't resign.

It could be Telesco batted close to a thousand, or three times Tony Gwynn. Eight of the ex-Bolts took big pay cuts. Fourteen are still on the street.

My one quibble among those moves: the cold shoulder Telesco gave Shaun Phillips.

Seemed to me that after consecutive years of mediocre pass-rushing, the Chargers should’ve kept either of their two best edge rushers. Phillips, the team's sack leader in 2012, was more available than Antwan Barnes, who in reuniting with his former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, scored a $4-million deal from the Jets.

Phillips, meanwhile, floated in free agency for seven weeks. Then, a day after Draft Night, the Broncos hired him for a sack of oats: $1 million in salary with no signing bonus.

Friends of Phillips say the 32-year-old wanted to return to San Diego, despite knowing that Melvin Ingram, the team’s top draft choice in 2012, was central to the team’s plans before suffering a torn ACL on May 14.

The main reason to keep Phillips?

He finds the quarterback as a savvy 3-4 defender who's a movable chess piece.

Among Chargers, he was first or second in sacks eight of the last nine years. He had 9.5 sacks last year, the fourth time in five seasons he led San Diego. Only 20 others outsacked that total; with nine sacks were Paul Kruger and Tamba Hali, two other outside linebackers in 3-4s. Both are younger, better players than Phillips. Still, it took $40 million for the Browns to sign Kruger in March, a month after Hali went to his second Pro Bowl.

The Chargers outside 'backer with the toughest job is Kruger's ex-mentor Jarret Johnson, who as the strongside defender must read the run and pass. Phillips played the strong spot when Shawne Merriman was injured. He has lined up also at end and inside linebacker.

If mediocre at best against the run or in coverage, Phillips nonetheless grasps the intricacies of the 3-4, his only scheme.

“I can’t be dominant at every (linebacker) position,” he said in 2009, “but I can play pretty much every position. I’m going to be in my spot and know what’s going on, and do my job at that position.”

For what it’s worth, Telesco isn’t the first Chargers GM to doubt Phillips. A.J. Smith, for sure, had no intention of bringing him back despite drafting him in 2004 and giving him a six-year contract in early 2007, when Phillips could've become a restricted free agent.

After the Chargers let him walk, Phillips thanked them for the last nine years.

He did, however, take to Twitter on Wednesday, when Quentin Jammer's signing with the Broncos was announced.